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Paknahad AA, Zalloum IO, Karshafian R, Kolios MC, Tsai SSH. High throughput microfluidic nanobubble generation by microporous membrane integration and controlled bubble shrinkage. J Colloid Interface Sci 2024; 653:277-284. [PMID: 37716307 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.09.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/18/2023]
Abstract
Microfluidics has recently been proposed as a viable method for producing bulk nanobubbles for use in various applications. The portability, compact size, and capacity to precisely control fluids on a small scale are a few of the benefits of microfluidics that may be exploited to create customized bulk nanobubbles. However, despite the potential of microfluidic nanobubble generation, low throughput and limited nanobubble concentration remain challenging for microfluidics. Here, we integrate a microporous silicon membrane into a polydimethylsiloxane microfluidic chip to generate bulk nanobubbles in the 100-140 nm diameter range with a concentration of up to 108 mL-1. We investigate the nanobubble size and morphology using several characterisation techniques, including transmission electron microscopy, resonance mass measurement, dynamic light scattering, and the Tyndall effect. This new nanobubble generation technique can increase nanobubble concentration by ∼ 23 times compared to earlier microfluidic nanobubble generation platforms, which should increase the feasibility of translation to medical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali A Paknahad
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Ontario M5B 2K3, Canada; Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST), A Partnership Between Toronto Metropolitan University and St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1T8, Canada; Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1W8, Canada
| | - Intesar O Zalloum
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST), A Partnership Between Toronto Metropolitan University and St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1T8, Canada; Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1W8, Canada; Department of Physics, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Ontario M5B 2K3, Canada
| | - Raffi Karshafian
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST), A Partnership Between Toronto Metropolitan University and St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1T8, Canada; Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1W8, Canada; Department of Physics, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Ontario M5B 2K3, Canada
| | - Michael C Kolios
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST), A Partnership Between Toronto Metropolitan University and St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1T8, Canada; Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1W8, Canada; Department of Physics, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Ontario M5B 2K3, Canada.
| | - Scott S H Tsai
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Ontario M5B 2K3, Canada; Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST), A Partnership Between Toronto Metropolitan University and St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1T8, Canada; Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1W8, Canada; Graduate Program in Biomedical Engineering, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto M5B 2K3, Canada.
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Paknahad AA, Kerr L, Wong DA, Kolios MC, Tsai SSH. Biomedical nanobubbles and opportunities for microfluidics. RSC Adv 2021; 11:32750-32774. [PMID: 35493576 PMCID: PMC9042222 DOI: 10.1039/d1ra04890b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of bulk nanobubbles in biomedicine is increasing in recent years, which is attributable to the array of therapeutic and diagnostic tools promised by developing bulk nanobubble technologies. From cancer drug delivery and ultrasound contrast enhancement to malaria detection and the diagnosis of acute donor tissue rejection, the potential applications of bulk nanobubbles are broad and diverse. Developing these technologies to the point of clinical use may significantly impact the quality of patient care. This review compiles and summarizes a representative collection of the current applications, fabrication techniques, and characterization methods of bulk nanobubbles in biomedicine. Current state-of-the-art generation methods are not designed to create nanobubbles of high concentration and low polydispersity, both characteristics of which are important for several bulk nanobubble applications. To date, microfluidics has not been widely considered as a tool for generating nanobubbles, even though the small-scale precision and real-time control offered by microfluidics may overcome the challenges mentioned above. We suggest possible uses of microfluidics for improving the quality of bulk nanobubble populations and propose ways of leveraging existing microfluidic technologies, such as organ-on-a-chip platforms, to expand the experimental toolbox of researchers working to develop biomedical nanobubbles. The use of bulk nanobubbles in biomedicine is increasing in recent years. This translates into new opportunities for microfluidics, which may enable the generation of higher quality nanobubbles that lead to advances in diagnostics and therapeutics.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali A Paknahad
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Ryerson University 350 Victoria Street Toronto Ontario M5B 2K3 Canada .,Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST), A Partnership Between Ryerson University and St. Michael's Hospital 209 Victoria Street Toronto Ontario M5B 1T8 Canada.,Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Unity Health Toronto 209 Victoria Street Toronto Ontario M5B 1W8 Canada
| | - Liam Kerr
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Ryerson University 350 Victoria Street Toronto Ontario M5B 2K3 Canada .,Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST), A Partnership Between Ryerson University and St. Michael's Hospital 209 Victoria Street Toronto Ontario M5B 1T8 Canada.,Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Unity Health Toronto 209 Victoria Street Toronto Ontario M5B 1W8 Canada
| | - Daniel A Wong
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST), A Partnership Between Ryerson University and St. Michael's Hospital 209 Victoria Street Toronto Ontario M5B 1T8 Canada.,Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Unity Health Toronto 209 Victoria Street Toronto Ontario M5B 1W8 Canada.,Department of Electrical, Computer, and Biomedical Engineering, Ryerson University 350 Victoria Street Toronto Ontario M5B 2K3 Canada
| | - Michael C Kolios
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST), A Partnership Between Ryerson University and St. Michael's Hospital 209 Victoria Street Toronto Ontario M5B 1T8 Canada.,Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Unity Health Toronto 209 Victoria Street Toronto Ontario M5B 1W8 Canada.,Department of Physics, Ryerson University Toronto Ontario M5B 2K3 Canada
| | - Scott S H Tsai
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Ryerson University 350 Victoria Street Toronto Ontario M5B 2K3 Canada .,Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST), A Partnership Between Ryerson University and St. Michael's Hospital 209 Victoria Street Toronto Ontario M5B 1T8 Canada.,Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Unity Health Toronto 209 Victoria Street Toronto Ontario M5B 1W8 Canada.,Graduate Program in Biomedical Engineering, Ryerson University 350 Victoria Street Toronto Ontario M5B 2K3 Canada
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van Elburg B, Collado-Lara G, Bruggert GW, Segers T, Versluis M, Lajoinie G. Feedback-controlled microbubble generator producing one million monodisperse bubbles per second. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2021; 92:035110. [PMID: 33820052 DOI: 10.1063/5.0032140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Monodisperse lipid-coated microbubbles are a promising route to unlock the full potential of ultrasound contrast agents for medical diagnosis and therapy. Here, we present a stand-alone lab-on-a-chip instrument that allows microbubbles to be formed with high monodispersity at high production rates. Key to maintaining a long-term stable, controlled, and safe operation of the microfluidic device with full control over the output size distribution is an optical transmission-based measurement technique that provides real-time information on the production rate and bubble size. We feed the data into a feedback loop and demonstrate that this system can control the on-chip bubble radius (2.5 μm-20 μm) and the production rate up to 106 bubbles/s. The freshly formed phospholipid-coated bubbles stabilize after their formation to a size approximately two times smaller than their initial on-chip bubble size without loss of monodispersity. The feedback control technique allows for full control over the size distribution of the agent and can aid the development of microfluidic platforms operated by non-specialist end users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin van Elburg
- Physics of Fluids Group, Technical Medical (TechMed) Center and MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Gonzalo Collado-Lara
- Physics of Fluids Group, Technical Medical (TechMed) Center and MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Gert-Wim Bruggert
- Physics of Fluids Group, Technical Medical (TechMed) Center and MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Tim Segers
- Physics of Fluids Group, Technical Medical (TechMed) Center and MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Michel Versluis
- Physics of Fluids Group, Technical Medical (TechMed) Center and MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Guillaume Lajoinie
- Physics of Fluids Group, Technical Medical (TechMed) Center and MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
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